Q21:

An overwhelming proportion of the most productive employees at SaleCo’s regional offices work not eight hours a day, five days a week, as do other SaleCo employees, but rather ten hours a day, four days a week, with Friday off. Noting this phenomenon, SaleCo’s president plans to increase overall productivity by keeping the offices closed on Fridays and having all employees work the same schedule—ten hours a day, four days a week.

Which of the following, if true, provides the most reason to doubt that the president’s plan, if implemented, will achieve its stated purpose?

1. Typically, a SaleCo employee’s least productive hours in the workplace are the early afternoon hours.
2. None of the employees who work four days a week had volunteered to work that schedule, but all were assigned to it by their supervisors.
3. Working ten hours a day has allowed the most productive employees to work two hours alone each day in their respective offices relatively undisturbed by fellow employees.
4. Employees at SaleCo are compensated not on the basis of how many hours a week they work but on the basis of how productive they are during the hours they are at work.
5. Those SaleCo employees who have a four-day workweek do not take any of their office work to do at home on Fridays.

Q16:

Historian: LACE>NewtonLACE> developed mathematical concepts and techniques that are fundamental to modern calculus. Leibniz developed closely analogous concepts and techniques. It has traditionally been thought that these discoveries were independent. Researchers have, however, recently discovered notes of Leibniz’ that discuss one of LACE>NewtonLACE>’s books on mathematics. Several scholars have argued that since the book includes a presentation of LACE>NewtonLACE>’s calculus concepts and techniques, and since the notes were written before Leibniz’ own development of calculus concepts and techniques, it is virtually certain that the traditional view is false. A more cautious conclusion than this is called for, however. Leibniz’ notes are limited to early sections of LACE>NewtonLACE>’s book, sections that precede the ones in which LACE>NewtonLACE>’s calculus concepts and techniques are presented.

In the historian’s reasoning, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?

1. The first provides evidence in support of the overall position that the historian defends; the second is evidence that has been used to support an opposing position.
2. The first provides evidence in support of the overall position that the historian defends; the second is that position.
3. The first provides evidence in support of an intermediate conclusion that is drawn to provide support for the overall position that the historian defends; the second provides evidence against that intermediate conclusion.
4. The first is evidence that has been used to support a conclusion that the historian criticizes; the second is evidence offered in support of the historian’s own position.

The first is evidence that has been used to support a conclusion that the historian criticizes; the second is further information that substantiates that evidence.